Cleavage goes bust: Vogue declares the décolletage 'over'

It has a long and controversial history, gracing the covers of countless magazines and catching the eye of many a gentleman.

But the cleavage has had its day, Vogue has declared.

Vogue magazine, the fashion bible, has claimed “the cleavage is over” as women fight back against the judgment of social media to pack away their push-up bras.

An article in this month's edition claims fashionistas are turning their backs on showing off their breasts, choosing instead to show more demure flashes of the shoulder, stomach or leg in a bid to outwit “creepy” online feedback.

Even high fashion labels renowned for their “ample displays” have this year “sent out girl after girl with legs, midriffs and cut-outs on show but no cleavage”, it said, adding it was a clear sign “something’s up. Or more pertinently, not up.”

Sophia Loren offers perhaps the most famous side-eye in photographic history to Jayne Mansfield's cleavageCredit:
REX

“The cleavage – those magnificent mounds pushed together to display sexual empowerment, to seduce, to inspire lust or even just to show off – is over, or at least, taking a well-earned break,” the magazine declares.

“The tits will not be out for the lads. Or for anyone else, for that matter.”

Elizabeth Saltzman, stylist, said she now has to take online harassment into account when dressing those in the public eye, with the open public comments on sites such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook leaving stars open to scrutiny.

The push-up bra was beloved in the 90s

Referring to an anonymous top-heavy actress, she said: “On those occasions where her cleavage is more visible, I see what happens on her Instagram feeds afterwards, and out of about 100,000 comments, 90,000 will be about her boobs.

“That’s not healthy, that’s creepy.”

The trend appears to be backed up by recent sales of bras, with soft-cupped natural shapes over-taking the push-up cleavage so beloved in the 1990s.

Eva Herzigova, star of the iconic Wonderbra advert, during London fashion week this yearCredit:
Getty

Earlier this year, retail analyst NPD reported that sales of traditional bras are down 19 per cent as millennials turn to sports bras for “comfort and ease of movement”.

Women now put “long-term comfort, durability and support” as the most important elements in finding a bra, it said.

“Seamless bra styles are increasingly top of mind for consumers of all ages, and can no longer be an afterthought for manufacturers and retailers.”

Online retailer ASOS has launched a “side boob bra” to suit the trend to have clothes cut low at the sides rather than cleavage, while supermodel Heidi Klum, who produces her Intimates range, has said she is seeking “less underwire and padding, something simpler, more racer backs."

Vanessa Kirby shows off her modest red carpet glamour at the premiere of The Crown todayCredit:
PA

In May, the Telegraph reported that soft cups now make up 30 per cent of Net-a-Porter's bra sales, with the most common request among cosmetic surgery patients is now for a mid-C cup rather than a double-D.

Celebrities attending the Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year awards appeared to confirm the trend, with winners Keira Knightley, Felicity Jones, Donatella Versace, Gillian Anderson all opting for high necklines while model and lingerie designer Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley wore an off-the-shoulder top.

Keira Knightley at the Harper's Bazaar Woman of the Year awardsCredit:
Rex

In an article headlined “desperately seeking cleavage”, a Vogue writer states: “Rejecting the stereotypes of gender has been brought sharply into focus, with the days of women as eye-candy, their sexuality positively smouldering rather than subtly played out, officially over.”